All the students sat in front of the richly laden tables and had a quiet lunch in the great hall of Elmbridge School of Magic.
The tables were full of all kinds of goodies, all kinds of fruits from all over the world such as bananas, grapes, mango, pineapples or purple oranges, but also rare fruits that sceptics wouldn't have the courage to try. Such as wild strawberries, as tiny as a bead and sour like pickled cucumber and sweet blackberries hotter than any known pepper, found only in the depths of the Ancient Forest. And of course, in Rujnoiu's shop ...
Some of the fruits were fresh, other were candied, caramelized and other were found in all sorts of flans and cakes. There were also white truffles, Macadamia nuts, saffron and many others unknown to most children sitting at that table ... they only knew they were edible.
On all tables, there were all kinds of dishes made from various vegetables and all kinds of meat. Spicy foods found in Asian areas, Mediterranean and North African specific foods, and many others specific to remote continents.
There was also a table with dishes unknown even to the wizards. Almost no student heard about them. Foods that stone elves used to eat.
At that table there were so little elves, with wrinkled skin, as if they were entirely made of stone. And they ate delicacies such as rock nymphs, little insects that were a delight to them. They also ate pickled worms or spider pasta mixed with almond sauce and many other dishes hard to digest by the way they looked, not to mention eating them.
…
After they finished their meal, Professor Knudlac appeared beside Elizabeth, Johnny and Alexander.
"Have you finished eating, dear?"
Elizabeth and Johnny stood side by side as usual. Alexander didn't sit next to them out of pride, but unlike a few weeks ago, he was much closer to them. There were only two students between the two and Alexander, which allowed Mr. Alexander to hear Elizabeth and Johnny's words and sometimes intervene in their talk. As if they were about to seal ... a bond of friendship between them.
"Yes," the three answered in one voice.
Johnny even hit his belly slightly, sign that he was filled up.
"I hope you ate well as a long trip is awaiting us."
The children looked at each other, smiling. Johnny took two more flans off the table. Although he ate more than any child there, the professor's question seemed to activate his thought that he didn't eat enough. Or that a long enough period he'll have nothing to eat but these truffles. So for his safety he also took a banana and an apple too.
Professor Knudlac smiled.
"We meet in the Big Library in thirty minutes. Your guardians are already there, waiting for you. Take only what is strictly necessary and don't be late, otherwise you won't be able to go through the portal."
Professor Knudlac left, letting the children go to their rooms to prepare their luggage for the journey.
…
After less than half an hour, the children waited impatiently in the big Library.
Professor Knudlac also appeared with two stone elves carrying his luggage. The children were surprised to see the force with which nature endowed these stone elves. They carried luggage at least five times heavier than they were. And as many times bigger.
Still, they carried it very easily. Probably ... hence the name of stone elves. They were tough and strong like stone, the children thought.
"I'm glad you're here," the wizard Knudlac greeted the children.
He glared at them and by his gaze it was clear he was unhappy with one thing.
"You aren't dressed properly ..."
Using the wand, the professor made some long, thick coats appear, along with some padded caps for the children. Some big waterproof boots completed the children's outfit.
One of the elves took a small globe in his hand and created a portal.
"Alexander, get close to Herntikn. He'll show you how to use portals in complete safety," said the great Knudlac, pushing him gently to the stone elf who welcomed him for the explanation.
As everyone was dressed appropriately, at least those who felt the cold, right when Alexander smiled as he opened a portal with Herntikn, the professor urged everyone to enter it.
In a few moments, the whole group went through that magic gate and reached an area ... where everything was white and cold.
The travellers couldn't see that white, the colour of fresh milk, too well. Because a very cold and sharp wind stirred a continuous snowstorm so they could barely stand and see five feet away. As for the cold ... even though Knudlac gave the kids those coats, they still felt the harsh cold. Surely, they'd be frozen instantly if they didn't wear those coats and boots. As for the stone elves, they were dressed the same way all the time. In the rain or wind, in scorching sun or blizzard, the stone elves were clad in the same thin clothes, without shoes - how else could stone face all these different phenomena?
"Herntikn! Can you take us to the shelter?" the professor asked.
The elf quickly opened a portal that immediately led the travellers inside an imposing temple, with arches supported by huge pillars, with plenty of steps leading up to that temple, with numerous bedrooms on each floor and many others ... but everything was made of ice. Even the furniture in that temple seemed to be made of crystal clear glass still made of ice; except that it wasn't cold at all, which Elizabeth and the boys noticed when they put their hands on a small closet.
The towers were made of ice. The walls were made of ice. The windows were also made of ice, but it was as transparent as the most precious crystal. One could see through those windows how heavily the snow was blown outside, by strong winds. But on the other side of the window, where they were, it was nice and cosy. It was really warm, so the coats started to get quite uncomfortable.
"I think it would be advisable to take off your coats..."
The children, only when they heard those words did realize they were really hot. Surely, what they saw seemed to hypnotize them because they did nothing but admire all that ... ice. They listened to the professor and after Knudlac saw everyone took off the thick clothes, he made them all disappear. They only had the boots on now, because even the stairs were made of ice. Yet, to avoid someone slipping, the floors and the steps of the temple had something special ... something magic. They weren't slippery at all.
"I took you out there to let you know how hard it is to do something. Such blizzard can be created by Ice Golems' scream. Not as powerful, but enough to confuse you. So, beware of their scream."
"How come we don't slip on the ice?" Elizabeth asked.
Johnny smiled.
"Because we aren't 'sceptics'. Now we're wizards. We don't slip because of magic."
"And because the wizard Knudlac gave us some specially made boots," completed Alexander. "Rather because of this, than Johnny's nonsense."
Johnny wasn't bothered by Alexander's remark. He admitted by his gesture that he was astonished too and as he didn't know what to answer he said the first thing that came to his mind. And somehow he was right. How else not to slip on ice if there wasn't any magic?
The group of travellers eventually arrived in a large room such as the large and spacious room of the Milan Dom.
There was a wizard dressed in white. Everything was white around him, like the white of the first snow in winter. The face, the hair, the beard, even the clothes were spotless. If you were to meet him outside where everything was white, you'd certainly pass by him without realizing you were supposed to see someone.
Even his magic wand was made of ice ... from magic ice, of course.
"Knudlac, my friend," the wizard stood up from his ice throne.
"Nakutsck ..."
The two hugged each other.
"We haven't seen each other for so long, dear friend," said the white sorcerer.
"That's right. For too long."
The white wizard greeted Herntikn and the other stone elf, Zagrobf.
"Is this your team?" the white wizard asked slightly worried.
Knudlac nodded.
"You know what they say. Strong liquors are in small containers," Knudlac smiled.
The white wizard approved Knudlac ... half-heartedly.
"I know, but still, the bottles are pretty small."
The wizard scanned the three children a bit. On Alexander's coat he recognized the coat of arms of the Soimesti family.
"I can see a Soimesti, though," he told Knudlac. "This family gave us some of the greatest wizards over time. However, it seems that the team is not so ..."
Knudlac touched the wizard's shoulder and he stopped talking.
"Don't mess up with anyone's confidence," whispered Knudlac, without the others hearing.
The white wizard realized he was about to make a mistake.
"Yes, Professor Knudlac brought his strongest team. As usual ..." Nakutsck couldn't help but slightly smile as he spoke those words.